Dame June Whitfield’s ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ co-stars have led tributes to the actress, following sad news of her death.
The 93-year-old played the mother of Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and shortly after her death was confirmed, many of the show’s famous faces shared kind words.
Speaking to ITV News, Joanna Lumley paid tribute to her “darling friend”.
“I shall never forget her sensational talent, humour and her generosity to us all who had the joy of working with her on ‘Ab Fab’,” she said. “She will always have a most special place in my heart.”
In a statement to the Press Association, Jennifer said: “It’s so tremendously sad to lose June. I will always be grateful that she agreed to be in ‘Ab Fab’ and even more grateful that she became a dear friend.
“She lived and worked with an extraordinary grace,” she added. “Everything June did was perfectly measured. She was so loved and I will miss her hugely.”
Some of the sitcom’s other stars tweeted:
Emma Bunton, who made a cameo in the ‘Ab Fab’ movie, also posted on Twitter:
Television producer, Jon Plowman, who worked on episodes of ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ and the 2016 film version, tweeted to say he was “very sad” to hear that Whitfield had died.
“There was no-one with more warmth or a better ability to just ‘place’ a line, always an act of utter precision. Hit after hit! Take it from Here Terry and June Absolutely Fabulous over seven decade. A great loss,” he said.
And a number of other stars shared touching stories of June’s kindness:
June had myriad stage and screen credits to her name and in the 1990s, she appeared in American hit ‘Friends’.
More recently, she had a guest role in ‘EastEnders’.
In a statement, Shane Allen, controller of BBC Comedy, said: “June Whitfield was the North Star of British comedy.
“Her spectacular career is unparalleled in its longevity, with seven decades of being a key element in numerous high profile and successful shows.